How should the boat sit on the trailer?

[ryans02]

I have an older aluminum 16ft Starcraft V-hull fishing boat. The trailer has bunks on the sides and rollers up the middle. Should most of the weight be on the bunks or equally on bunks and rollers or what? It seems to me that a lot of the boats weight is on the rollers. So my question is, what percentage of the boats weight should be on the bunks and what percentage on the rollers?

Should the front eyelet on my boat go below or above the front roller on the trailer where the crank it?

Thanks!!

 

[arks]

Re: How should the boat sit on the trailer?

Ideally, you want the weight to be as low as possible. The bunks should only balance the boat; the keel rollers are designed to carry the lions share of the load.
As for the bow eye, with the boat fully on the trailer it should be just below the stop. The reason? Because if you make a sudden stop, the bow of the boat can't ride up and over the tongue. Some tongues are welded and not adjustable for height.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How should the boat sit on the trailer?

i'm of the opposite view, the rollers are to help guide the boat on the trailer, and protect the keel, the majority of the weight should be on the bunks, once the boat is out of the water, my inboard/outboard trailer has no rollers at all.

 

[109jb]

Re: How should the boat sit on the trailer?

I agree with Tashasdaddy. It doesn't make sense to support a boat by the keel. That puts all of the weight of the boat on a few very localized spots whereas the bunks spread the load out over the bottom of the hull. Ask yourself this: What supports the boat in the water, the keel alone, or is the weight distributed across the whole bottom of the hull?

 

[Nandy]

Re: How should the boat sit on the trailer?

rollers are to guide the boat keel. Bunks takes the weight.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: How should the boat sit on the trailer?

Must agree with TD. My 2003 shorelander has only one roller at the very rear. Once the boat is loaded, all the weight is on the bunks.